Maze Musings

From family friendly to make-you-wet-your-pants, there are corn mazes for all tastes.

Farmstead Corn Maze and Pumpkin Festival

Where: 8685 S. Meridian Road (between Columbia and Hubbard roads). For more info, call 208-922-5678.
When: The corn maze and assorted family appropriate fun is open Mondays through Thursdays from 4-9 p.m., Fridays from 4-11 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. through Saturday, Oct. 31.
The Field of Screams is open on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at dark.
How Much: Admission is $10 for ages 12 and older or $7 for ages 4-11.
Admission for the Field of Screems is $15 for ages 12 and older or $12 for ages 4-11, and includes the corn maze and other attractions.

Some autumn traditions make sense, but I’m still trying to figure out the origins of the corn maze. Personally, I theorized it has something to do with someone getting lost in his corn field, then trying to play it off.

“No, Jedediah, I wasn’t lost. I meant to spend four hours meandering through the corn.”

“Thou art full of it, Edward,” said Jedediah.

“Forsooth, it’s true,” argued Edward, his eyes darting quickly from side to side. “Tis no more enjoyable way to spend one’s time than by finding one’s path through a maze of corn. Besides, all the cool farmers are doing it.”

Before long, Jedediah was found carving out his own maze in the corn.

Of course, it’s only a theory, but the fact remains that each fall, people flock to corn mazes, and Boiseans are no different.

For the past 13 years, the folks at Farmstead Corn Maze and Pumpkin Festival have been taking the corn maze to the next level, eschewing the idea of a simple labyrinth for creations in shapes that need to be seen from the air. This year, in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday, a giant, heads-up penny now fills the 12 acres of the maze.

How long does it take to get through? “You can get through pretty quickly if you take all the right turns,” said maze owner Hillary Lowe.

On average, though, it takes roughly one hour to work your way through the twists and turns.

The corn maze is part of the larger Farmstead, which includes hay rides, a pumpkin patch, a giant air pillow for jumping delight, daily pig races and something called a “corn box,” which Lowe explained is something like a sand box, just with kernels of corn.

For those in search of another autumnal tradition—being scared out of your mind—the Field of Screams is a separate area of the corn field filled with lots of things that will elicit screams of terror.

The corn maze and assorted family appropriate fun is open Mondays through Thursdays from 4-9 p.m., Fridays from 4-11 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. through Saturday, Oct. 31. Admission is $10 for ages 12 and older or $7 for ages 4-11.

The Field of Screams is open on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at dark. Admission is $15 for ages 12 and older or $12 for ages 4-11, and includes the corn maze and other attractions.